English Democrats enter election race in Berwick constituency

Laura Nolan

The English Democrats have joined the General Election race in the Berwick constituency by putting up a candidate for the May 7 vote.

Neil Humphrey has been selected as the party’s representative for the Berwick seat, giving voters six choices on the ballot paper next month.

The English Democrats are campaigning for the creation of an English Parliament and executive within the United Kingdom with the same powers as the Scottish Parliament and executive.

The party’s main policies include restricting immigration to a points system. They would like to make St George’s Day a national holiday and also believe England should leave the EU via a referendum.

Mr Humphrey was a member of the Labour Party for 30 years before moving to Ukip, and then joined the English Democrats.

He says he would campaign for the A1 to be upgraded to a dual carriageway all the way up to the Scottish border. It follows the Government’s financial pledge at the end of last year to dual the A1 only as far as Ellingham. He believes pedestrian access, lorry turning and icy conditions have not been taken into account.

Mr Humphrey says the Berwick electorate should be concerned about concessions made to the SNP if they end up holding the balance of power after the election. He said: “I think the constituency should be concerned about sleazy, back-room horse-trading for an SNP-backed coalition. I want a commitment that there can be no border move without a referendum on an area-by-area basis.”

Mr Humphrey says he understands the pressure on the NHS and wants things to change. He said: “My wife is a retired ambulance woman. For some time I have been against super-hospitals, which move A&Es further away and the running down of services.”

Mr Humphrey would also like to reintroduce so-called Men’s Sheds and open this up to younger ages. He said: “Tools experience and career knowledge can be shared. We will fight to keep open libraries and protect budgets nationally from cuts.

“Working in control systems automation, there are very few senior engineers younger than myself. In 10 to 15 years’ time, we’ll all be retiring. All that infrastructure we rely on, we will have to import foreign immigrants. I believe we should be transferring those skills to the younger generation.

“I would like to see those who can program their mobile phones, or wire a car stereo, to be shown how in-demand their skills could be in automation. That includes younger adolescents tempted by crime.”

Mr Humphrey also said he would like to see more professionals encouraged to enter politics and become MPs.